Uneasy daily life

"In this interesting world, boring guys like you should be extinct! Don't worry, I'll make you some braised chicken feet during holidays!"

The white figure raised its hand and pressed down, causing the Assassin Queen to disappear.

"Phew... As expected, it's all because of Yoshikage Sekiji's closed-off style that I've been lacking inspiration. Now, I'm unstoppable, my thoughts are flowing freely, and I can easily write 100,000 words a day!"

Two hundred words later... later... later...

Damn it! It must have been Yoshikage Kira!

Postscript

I stayed up all night to finish writing this, and it's hard to tell how well it's done yet, but in any case, Volume 3 is finally coming to an end.

I always feel that I'm in a good state at the beginning of each volume, and I can occasionally squeeze out some ideas, but I always feel like I'm missing a breath when I'm writing the ending. Except for the first volume, when I was in the best state, the last two volumes were just a mix of good ideas and boring ideas. I would squeeze out a little bit of ideas at the end and try my best to finish.

After finishing the third volume, I realized it was longer than the first two, probably because it focused on analyzing Bai Ying's predicament. As for what kind of person the protagonist is, readers will have their own opinions. As for me? I'm just an emotionless typewriter, sometimes I type well, sometimes I type poorly. There's no need to give my simple failure to write something with any other inexplicable meaning.

To be honest, the first volume had a complete outline and over 100,000 words of drafts. The second volume also had a complete outline as it was being written. The third volume, apart from the cultural festival and sports festival, was basically composed of scattered connections and improvisations. It focused on developing the female protagonist, so the writing couldn't take into account the fun of causing trouble. It also focused on developing Bai Ying, so the writing couldn't take into account the female protagonist. It was a problem of insufficient ability.

If it's not well written, it's not well written. Attributing the problem to what was written is completely irrelevant. This is my answer to some of the questions and doubts.

The good news is that Volume 4 has a basic overall structure, confirmed the new characters who will appear, and should also resolve the foreshadowing of Azusagawa and Makinohara Shoko, striving for a double breakthrough in both the romance and the white shadow storylines. That being said, it's already in a state of confusion, and it really lacks a sense of proportion and control as to how well it can be written.

The interpretation of Bai Ying is difficult. Some readers think he is simply a person who enjoys himself, some think he is emotionless, some think he is a moral exemplar, some think he is morally corrupt, and some even consider him divine... In fact, all of these are possible.

Because I'm a volatile person, my moods are all over the place. (sad.jpg)

Human memory and cognition are often misaligned. A sentence I casually write might become a defining characteristic of a character in the eyes of some readers. Similarly, different readers might remember different parts of a story I conceived in different contexts, resulting in different impressions. All of this is perfectly normal.

Honestly, I think the most solid character I wrote was Yukino, not Shirakage.

Perhaps it's because I'm used to portraying Yukino's complicated inner thoughts; I just casually throw in a line of inner monologue while writing...

When I was conceiving the story of Bai Ying, I was thinking about how to create humor, add some poetry to showcase her talent, add some jokes to add interest, and make the overall plot fun. To be honest, I was used to writing like this, so when I suddenly had to analyze Bai Ying's inner world, I inevitably lost sight of one thing and couldn't change my approach immediately.

The soul of a novel is its humor, with occasional sentimental and artistic touches. The later three volumes were basically enough, though they were also killing my brain cells.

Volume 4 will be released under extremely difficult circumstances, and it feels like it will be the biggest test of my writing skills. I will have to try to describe some very ordinary things in detail and make them stand out. Incidentally, it is also the last volume of my high school years (sad).

As for the harem, only Angelina's storyline has a few plot points that haven't been explored yet. In other words, there are only these five, and I won't add any more, because I simply can't write them all, and I can't create any more in-depth characters!

Yukino was constantly taking on scenes, and since I couldn't just finish the first volume and leave it alone, I took on some of Mai's scenes in the second volume. Yukino and Mai also took on scenes with Haruno and Kazuka... I feel like I don't even need to count; Yukino's scenes were definitely the most numerous.

With the addition of a new harem, I don't know if Bai Ying's character will collapse, but I know that I'm collapsing, collapsing, collapsing.

Ah... Will I really live long enough to write Bai Ying to death?

Forget it, I'll leave the thinking and writing to tomorrow. Now I should enjoy a good night's sleep.

Come on, tomorrow's me!

Love, past lives and present lives

Chapter One: New Year's Worship

"The second semester is over!"

"Oh?"

"But the holiday is only ten days!"

"Because it's New Year's Day."

"The third semester is only a month and a half long, right? It's basically the end-of-year exams, isn't it?!"

"That's normal... right?"

"Isn't the third semester just a semester for final exams?!"

"Does Xiaobai want to abolish the third semester? It seems like there are two semesters in China..."

"Why can't we just ban the New Year?"

"Huh? Why is this the option?!"

"Because objectively speaking, it is quite difficult to abolish the third semester."

Hah...

Hachiman Hikigaya opened his eyes, somewhat bewildered, and after a moment of confusion, he began to question the meaning of life.

Why do I dream about the minister's devilish suggestion during my vacation?

Oh no, it seems like the minister's problem was more serious in my dream?

Although I don't know what happened, the department head and Yukinoshita don't seem to have a falling out, so is Sakurajima Mai the one who lost?

Hachiman Hikigaya savored the aroma of the melon, rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to be knocked down by the cold air.

Wow! This winter is so cold!

Speaking of which, it snowed very early this year. I'll sleep a little longer...

Is a happy New Year worth celebrating?

The only two things to be happy about are: first, the wasabi noodles Komachi made last night were delicious; and second, the fact that Komachi will suddenly push open the door and shout in a cheerful voice, "Trash-chan, get out of bed and sunbathe! It's time to go to the shrine to burn incense and pray!" and I will silently resist until Komachi rips the blanket off...

Ah... the breeze made it feel warmer...

Hachiman Hikigaya faintly heard footsteps outside the door, his thoughts quickened by the warmth, gradually becoming blurred.

"Brother Bai, what's with that outfit?"

Hah... what's wrong with Bai-ge...?

"Incense burner, offering box, wholesale candied hawthorn, clergy uniform."

Huh? Hachiman Hikigaya shuddered in a daze.

"Are you planning to compete with the gods for offerings? Sigh... why are there still a few sticks stuck in the incense burner?"

"Because I've already snatched them all back, there are already a lot of people lining up late at night to burn incense early for good luck, but they can only go in when the shrine rings its bell at a certain time." A certain voice became more and more familiar. "They're so aloof and not approachable at all. I specially helped to create healthy competition by providing professional prayer services and collected a lot of offerings."

Hmm, whose voice sounds so familiar...?

"Huh? Does this really work?"

"Of course! So-called clergy, to put it bluntly, are intermediaries between God and man. What's the biggest requirement for an intermediary? Wide connections and strong communication skills! Look at my clothes. I offer comfort from ancient faiths such as Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, and Christianity. I'm fluent in Chinese, English, Japanese, and other languages, which can make customers feel impressed and greatly increase their trust. I'm good at using candied hawthorns to open the mouths of children who are pretending to be well-behaved during the New Year, thereby penetrating the target customer base..."

"Won't we be treated as suspicious persons and kicked out?"

"Happy New Year to this lovely little one! No homework? How about a skewer of sweet and sour candied hawthorns?"

"Mmm...it's quite delicious."

"For a mere 200 yen, you can get one free."

"?"

boom!

Hachiman Hikigaya pushed open the door. It was the department head!

He wore a Taoist robe with a kasaya draped diagonally over it, a shimenawa rope tied around his waist with a cross hanging from it, a candied hawthorn stick as a target in his left hand, an incense burner in his right hand, and a donation box hanging on his chest... He was a complete mess!

"Huh? Brother actually got up early today?" Komachi Hikigaya said with a surprised look, while sucking on a candied hawthorn. "I was going to wake you up later—well, brother has finally grown up and doesn't need anyone to wake him up anymore."

"Going to school is also an uncontrollable force that makes me get out of bed."

Hachiman Hikigaya rubbed his eyes, confirming it wasn't a dream: "Why is the minister here? And dressed like he's pushing the limits of heresy."

“That’s called professionalism. An excellent agent can not only fool clients, but also the clients they represent. They cast a wide net not only for clients, but also for clients.” Bai Ying extended the incense burner forward. “General, would you like to burn some incense? Let’s pray for a blessed new year!”

Hachiman Hikigaya rolled his dead fish eyes and complained, "I have a feeling that I'll have bad luck for the whole year after I burn this."

"Don't underestimate me!" the white-clad figure said in a booming voice. "As long as you burn some incense, I can wake you up in Komachi's voice right away. I can even simulate pulling off the covers!"

Hikigaya Komachi frowned, cast a scrutinizing glance at her stern-faced brother, and then said helplessly, "Brother, you like to act cute too much, don't you?"

"I don't need that kind of thing anymore."

Hachiman Hikigaya said seriously, "Komachi, it's already the holidays, can't I stay in bed a little longer?"

“Indeed, this level of surprise is no longer there.” Bai Ying sighed. “It really does take Komachi to get into bed first and whisper in your ear to wake you up. Before you can respond, she suddenly stands up and holds up the blanket—gentle yet playful, it feels so good, right?”

Hachiman Hikigaya: "Indeed..."

After responding instinctively, I met my sister's disgusted look at the harmful residue.

"Disgusting—Brother Bai, here's my breakfast for you, consider it a return gift of candied hawthorns."

No, that's what the minister said!

"Tsk tsk tsk, there's that typical middle school student trait of starting to dislike her older brother, but Komachi also likes him. It's such a strange mix..."

"Brother Bai, you don't want to eat either!"

"Isn't it wrong to waste food?"

"I'll have two!"

Hikigaya Komachi stomped back to the kitchen.

My little sister is so cute.

Hachiman Hikigaya felt a sense of healing, as if his mood had improved. Just as he turned his gaze back, the offering box was shoved in front of him...

There was also a very kind smile on Bai Ying's face.

"Small business, no credit please, this is 100 yen."

"I didn't burn incense, did I?"

"That's a different price—or do you think Komachi isn't worth 100 yen?"

"It's worth it! It's worth it!"

While stopping the white shadow from speaking, Hachiman Hikigaya went back to his room to change his clothes and look for a hundred-yen coin.

Seeing Komachi's adorable side made it all worthwhile; if I were to refuse again, who knows what the department head would do...

Ok?

Hachiman Hikigaya frowned, realizing that things were not so simple.

I've been CPU'd by the minister?!

……

……

On the New Year's knot, there are many pedestrians coming and going. Some are on their way to visit the shrine, while others have just returned from their visit. It is an activity that should be done during the New Year festival.

Hikigaya Komachi and Shirokage walked ahead with high spirits, while Hikigaya Hachiman followed leisurely behind. Looking at the latter, who was still dressed as if he might be summoned by the Lord at any moment to go to the Western Paradise and ascend to immortality, he always felt that the passers-by were casting intense stares at him.

It seems my latent aura is insufficient to counteract the minister's erratic behavior.

"It seems like Brother Bai's festivals are different?"

"I don't really care about holidays."

"Huh? Why? Shouldn't holidays be a time for happiness?"

"If you should be happy, then you aren't happy."

Bai Ying casually remarked, "For example, a listless subordinate is clearly not very interested in holidays; he's only happy to spend them with you."

Komachi Hikigaya turned around with her hands on her hips, feigning helplessness, and said, "Sigh~ When will my brother grow up so that Komachi won't have to worry about him?"

"It's alright, Komachi will understand later," Hachiman Hikigaya remarked. "When she has to work overtime and is filled with worries, Komachi will realize that holidays are meaningless, and instead seem noisy and busy—holidays only last a few days, going to school and working are the most ordinary things. If holidays are supposed to be happy, then going to school and working are supposed to be unhappy, because happiness can alleviate unhappiness. Therefore, it can be concluded that holidays are just for going to school and working..."

Brother, chop to the neck!

"Don't say weird things!"

Ah, well, the minister meant the same thing, I was just expanding on it a little.

Hachiman Hikigaya rubbed his neck and asked casually, "If the captain doesn't care about holidays, why didn't you go to the shrine with Yukinoshita?"

"She didn't invite me."

"Ok?"